Shattered Hopes
by Jasmin Kenobi
Summary: For years, Sarissa has held her ideals close to her, even when she was a prisoner of the Tal Shiar and even when she was forced to go against her pacifism. Now, she's faced with what could be the biggest test to those ideals yet: A Mol'Rihan Galae commander is accused of murdering the inhabitants of a medical station. Sarissa has to go against the clock to find the truth or die.
1. Chapter 1

**Welp, here is my second "on-time" ULC challenge submission. It's for the 20** **th** **STO forum ULC, prompt 4, because that one hit me as perfect. I have a pacifist character, so it's time to fuck up some lives. Also, yes, I swear frequently. I noticed that a few years ago and I now laugh when anyone comments on it. Also, as to the fucking up of lives, this character first saw her official introduction on an IRC client and forum based RP site, so that's where some of the details within come from.**

 **For a quick brief, here are the basics: Gary Williams was the head nurse when Sarissa was the CMO of the USS Sentinel. Loret and Kelly were a medtech and nurse respectively. There will be some references to a war with the Tzenkethi that took place in-RP in 2394. There will also be a few references to having done cov ops, but that'll be explained in another fic. Maybe. If I can find the right prompt. Anyway, to start the fun.**

"Shattered Hopes"

Sarissa t'Kaveth-Colvem was working on going through some communications, mainly medical journals, when her comm chirped.

"Sarissa here. Go ahead."

" _Riov, it's Saresh. There's an encrypted comm channel from Mol'Rihan, marked for your eyes only._ "

Sarissa sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Thankfully, she had decided to grow it back out. That bob she had was starting to annoy her.

"Put it through, Saresh. And aren't you supposed to be off duty?"

" _Funny, I was about to ask the same of you._ "

Sarissa could hear the undiluted snark in her first officer's voice, and smirked.

"Catch some rest, Saresh. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

Saresh cut the channel and Sarissa opened her computer terminal and accepted the transmission.

The face of Enriov tr'Kererek appeared on the screen, his face grim. That already assured Sarissa that the news was indeed poor.

" _Riov, is your ship ready for another mission?_ "

"Of course. Which colony are we going to this time? And please don't tell me someone else has gotten the Rigellian flu."

" _No flu this time, Riov. I'm attaching a secure packet to the signal. You're going to the Tal Shiar medical station on Levaeri V. Yes, I know it used to be an experimental station, but it's now a Tal Shiar-run medical base. Empress Sela is throwing allegations around that a Republic warbird attacked the station and killed most of the crew. I need someone with medical training to look over the place. But first, you're going to rendezvous with the_ USS Serenity _to pick up some MACOs. No argument, Riov_."

Sarissa didn't bother to open the subspace packet, just scowled.

"You know my policy about soldiers on my ship, Enriov. This is a relief vessel, not a warship. And why, exactly, are you sending me to deal with the Tal Shiar?"

Tr'Kererek's gaze brokered no arguments, but he let out a deep breath, " _Look, Sarissa, I know of your history with them. I know what they did to you. But you're a doctor, with Starfleet training. And, you're empathic. You're damn near one of a kind in the_ Galae _right now. I understand your hesitations. And the MACOs are headed up by someone you know. Mister Williams requested to be on the assignment and he brought two of his med staff along_."

"Gary Williams? I… fine. You know what, I'll do it. Elements help me, I'll do it."

" _Thank you. The packet I sent contains Sela's allegations and supposed evidence. Give that to someone on your senior staff and let them go through it to see if it's real or not. Also, this stays between you, your senior staff, and the MACOs_."

"Ie, Enriov."

He signed off and Sarissa opened the packet.

As she read it and then saw the "evidence", her face paled further and further. The commander of the ship that had allegedly carried out this attack… she knew him. He was from Glintara, he'd been a patient of hers once. His daughter was a frequent visitor to her clinic, she'd had a poor immune system.

With a long heaved sigh, she looked up towards the bulkhead above and let out a whispered prayer to the Elements.

"Please don't let me screw this up."

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Gary Williams swore and slapped his cards down.

"Fold. Kelly, I swear, you always cheat."

Lorella Kelly scoffed and brushed strands of black hair behind her ear, "You're just jealous that I'm better at poker than you. Loret isn't complaining."

Loret Delens instantly scooted his chair back.

"This is so not my problem," he announced, drawing laughter from the fourth player.

Noemi Idaris chuckled, "Williams, relax. It's not your fault you can't get past the pheromones."

Kelly offered the Trill a nasty glare as she set her cards down and collected the winnings.

Major Sivak lifted an eyebrow, "Most human males tend to fall prey to Orion pheromones as a course of nature."

Gary lifted his hands, "Fine, fine. Just some honest complaining here."

" _Bridge to Idaris. We're coming up on the rendezvous point now._ "

"Idaris here. On my way. Prepare to open a channel."

She excused herself and the three medical officers and the MACO looked at each other.

"I believe the human term here is… 'show time', is it not?"

"You're absolutely right," Loret said, looking proud that he actually knew that.

Kelly chuckled and snagged her medical blue overcoat.

"Let's do this."

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

" _USS Serenity_ , this is the _RRW Telent_ , please stand by for transport coordinates."

"Telent, _this is_ Serenity _actual. Hold for a moment while I get their asses into the transporter room._ "

" _Serenity_ actual, _Telent_ actual. That's all the time we need. Sending coordinates now."

" _Thanks, Riov. They'll be over in a minute. Also, that Orion probably cheats at poker._ "

"I know. She used to wipe Bob Harlan out pretty easily and he was married to the master of all poker faces."

" _Poor man. Vulcans can be pretty interesting._ "

"You just got a glare from a Vulcan, I'm sure."

" _Sure did. Well, I need to get to the next mission before Command harps at me again. Until next time, Riov._ "

"Pleasure as always, Captain. _Telent_ out."

Sarissa leaned back and smirked at the familiar exchange. She'd known Noemi since her old friend, Tommy Alvarez, has introduced her to his team, which had included the recent addition of the fiery Trill. Her predecessor on the team had gotten thrown in prison for illegally attempting to access a Tkon ship by manufacturing codes made from his teammates' codes and access.

Saresh slid a hand under her hood and scratched her ear for a moment before continuing to monitor the transport process.

"So far so good," the Reman engineer reported.

Elina and Jeruth glanced at each other before returning to their work. Everyone knew of Saresh's strange habit of scratching her ear when she was worried.

Sarissa had picked up on that within days, being an empath, but it had taken the others. Now, they all knew each other's tells, and called them out.

"Anything wrong, Saresh?"

It took a few moments, but finally the engineer gave in.

"This all seems wrong. It's… I don't know how to describe it. My sixth sense is going off like crazy."

Instantly, the emotional temperature of the bridge took a turn for the nervous side of the spectrum. Saresh had never once been wrong about her sixth sense, ever. She'd even known something was wrong as soon as they'd approached the Azure Nebula, before that temporal mishap that only four people actually remembered.

"We'll talk later," Sarissa promised before toggling the key for the shipwide comm system, "Attention, all crew. There is a senior staff briefing at 1400 hours. Lieutenant Commander Williams and Major Sivak, you are to be there as well. That is all."

She toggled the comms off and looked back, "This is about to get real interesting."

"Oh joy," Jeruth muttered to Elina, who struggled to restrain a derisive noise.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Gary sat next to Sivak and watched the _Telent_ senior staff file into the room. First was the Reman first officer, who looked slightly fatigued. Then were the science and chief medical officers, both of whom seemed annoyed. Next, there was the nervous-looking tactical officer, a man named Jeraik. Finally, in walked Doc and the chief engineer.

"Take a seat, all of you," Doc ordered. She sounded so commanding these days, but that probably came from trying to wrangle one of the craziest Sickbay staffs in Starfleet.

"What's up, Doc?" Gary grinned. Sarissa pinched the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb before glaring at him.

"Are you still making that joke, Gary? Really?"

"I thought about mixing things up, but a little nostalgia is good."

Sivak lifted an eyebrow, "Nostalgia does serve its purposes."

The chief engineer waved his hands about, "Alright, enough from the peanut gallery!"

The table burst out into a round of laughter, simply from hearing the man say that.

"Alright, so I still wrangle crazies. Anyway, time to sober up, people. You're not going to like this, at all."

"I heard something about Empress Sela making a complaint about an attack on a Tal Shiar base, but that always happens," Gary said.

Sarissa's expression went from serious to pained in seconds.

"As much as I hate to admit it, this was a good Tal Shiar base. It was a medical facility, mostly crewed by civilian staff, but with a Tal Shiar presence aboard for the more serious work and for security purposes. A Republic warbird supposedly slipped through the defending force and did a number on it. You're not going to like this recording."

She played it and jaws dropped around the room.

A _Valdore_ -class warbird smashed through the defending ships and opened fire on the base. Recorded comm messages depicted the base trying to plead for mercy, trying to get help, but their comms finally went silent. The warbird continued to fire for several more minutes before peeling away and going to warp, just before the reinforcements arrived. The recording ended at that.

"Holy shit," Gary murmured, feeling sickened.

"I'm with him…" the Reman first officer scowled. The others agreed.

"What's more, the warbird is one I recognize," Sarissa continued. Gary could tell that she was trying not to have a moment right now.

"Oh?" Sivak asked.

"I used to have a practice on Glintara, before the Tal Shiar happened to it. The commander was a patient I saw occasionally, but I mostly treated his daughter. She didn't have a good immune system."

"Damn," Gary muttered, "If that was really a medical base, they would have had containment cells for several very nasty bugs. If those containment seals broke…"

Sarissa nodded, "Exactly. It's why we're going over in EVA suits and the full rig."

"Still got your STAR gear?"

"I almost slapped someone for trying to take it from me, despite how badly the mission went."

"Anyone want to fill me in here?" Saresh asked.

"Kid," Gary began, "You're looking at the only person in the entire Romulan Republic who has even had the honor of being called a STAR agent. STAR is a special ops branch of Starfleet, one that has been noted for several cov ops missions, including the retaking of Sigma Rho from the Tzenkethi."

Saresh's eyes widened, "Who sent a doctor on a cov ops mission?"

"Let me tell you a story of damned fools with guns," Sarissa said before laughing, "Ahk, who am I kidding, I miss them so much, despite the craziness."

Gary smirked, "Never thought I'd see the day where you said something about those crazy bastards other than how crazy you thought they were."

Saresh looked around the table and thumped her fist on the metal surface once.

"Back to business," she said simply. Sarissa nodded.

"Sorry. Anyway, we go over in EVA suits in three teams. Team One will breach the Ops section. Team Two will get to the containment center. Team Three gets to Engineering. We'll space jump across the gap between ship and station and use short range transporter units to get inside once we're within spitting distance, as it were. After we secure the assigned areas, Team One will get Ops running, Team Two will secure the containment facility, and Team Three will get the station running again. Teams One and Three will remain stationary unless attacked and Team Two will go around looking for survivors. Any questions?"

"Only one," Major Sivak asked, "How many personnel will each team consist of?"

"Team One is five people, Team Two is fifteen, and Team Three is seven."

"I request one MACO for every five personnel, thus giving Team One a single MACO, Team Two will have three MACOs, and Team Three will have two."

Sarissa nodded, "An excellent idea, Major. I'll send team listings to the department heads at 0500 tomorrow morning. We arrive at the station at 1300 hours with departure point being at 1325 hours. Dismissed."

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Sarissa leaned back in her chair in her Ready Room and sighed, going over the team listings one last time. Three empty mugs sat next to her, all having at one time contained some concoction of raktajino and Swedish coffee. Tasted like a mix of bad alcohol, coolant fluid, and a hangover; but it did wonders to keep her awake overnight. She was just too damned nervous to sleep right now.

Surprisingly, her door chime went off at exactly 0420 and she called out, "Come!"

And in walked Lorella Kelly, with the always-reliable cup of strange caffeinated brew she always would make after a long day in Sickbay or a battle.

"You look like shit, boss," the Orion nurse said simply, setting the brew down.

"Do I want to know what mixture of stimulants you've added to this?" Sarissa asked.

"Considering that at least two are illegal, probably not."

"Are they illegal in the Republic?"

"Yes."

"All the more fun," Sarissa shrugged as she took a gulp of the drink and tried not to spit it out.

"Tastes awful, doesn't it?" Kelly asked knowingly.

"Absolutely. But I'm feeling very awake now."

Kelly sat down and gazed over the mess of PADDs for several minutes before saying, "You're still not clean, are you?"

"What do you mean?" Sarissa said cautiously. How could Kelly possibly know? She couldn't…

"I know about those missing drugs from Sickbay. Nothing anyone would look at separately, but if you put them together, you get a black market stimulant that's illegal for a damn good reason. It kills most humanoids and even Vulcanoids have a damn hard time handling it. But somehow, you managed to create the perfect mix and put it in your coffee, every single day. I can't believe it was you, but… I asked for replicator access and I used a program to check your files. What the hell are you doing to yourself? How long has it been since you slept?"

Sarissa sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Lorella, it isn't that simple. I… I can't sleep. I can't sleep, knowing what I dream of. I have nightmares, every single night, Lorella. They're always the same. Either someone I love dies or I'm back in the Tal Shiar facility they were holding me at and… no, I won't explain myself to anyone, least of all someone who illegally checked my replicator files!"

Lorella calmly gazed at her, "I'm a nurse, boss. But I'm not just a nurse. I'm a former slave girl, I've seen some pretty nasty stuff. But the look on your face just now, I've seen it before, and always on the same group of people. The victims. I don't know what the Tal Shiar did to you, and I won't ask. What I will ask is that you get clean. I don't care how you do it, but get off that damned drug."

"How did you even know I was using it, anyway?"

"I'm a nurse, remember? The last time I saw you, you were so damned happy and excitable, but now, you look pale, which is saying something, considering your natural skin tone. You hardly smile and when you do, it's forced. Gary told me. He's worried, and so am I. I know what this drug can do. There's been a rash of deaths lately, all from the drug. Look, I know you're a doctor, but please, stop this. Your mixtures may become inaccurate one day and I don't want to think of what this will do to your mother, so soon after losing your father at Vega."

Sarissa lifted a hand for silence and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fine. Elements help me, I'll do it."

Lorella looked pleased, "Look, I know it'll be hard. I got myself hooked on fake Venus drugs a while back, because they were counterfeit and did nothing but rake in money. I can give you the number of the guy who helped me. But first, you get some sleep, real sleep. I'll send out the listings, you take some time and sleep, because we don't need an exhausted team member."

"I… won't. Not now. Being so close to the Tal Shiar… it's not bringing up anything good."

"I'll be there. It'll be fine."

Sarissa's carefully constructed façade slipped for just a moment before she recovered and nodded.

"Thank you, Lorella."

The Orion woman smiled, "No thanks are needed."

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Major Sivak calmly checked the seals on Riov Sarissa's EVA suit. This STAR gear was very efficient, and quite well designed.

"You were on Sigma Rho?" he asked.

" _Yes_ ," she replied.

"I was one of the Federation prisoners you had rescued. I recall that you were occupied working on saving a teammate when I attempted to thank you."

" _Yeah… Feyna. Haven't heard from her in a while, might one day, who knows_."

Sivak tapped his wrist unit for a private comm channel.

"Riov, Nurse Kelly has asked me to join your team, as I presume you are taking Team One. Her request is that I watch you and make sure you are well. Would you know why?"

" _Yes, I do. And no, I won't share it. Just… make sure I don't do anything stupid, alright? And don't be afraid to call me out on anything, either_."

"I am Vulcan. Fear is illogical."

" _Good to hear_."

Sarissa tapped her wrist unit and pulled out the special model tricorder, linking it back to her suit and then setting up something.

" _All away personnel, this is Riov Sarissa. I'm going to be keeping tabs on all of your life signs, so I will know if you are injured. Also, I don't want any trigger-happy idiots on this mission, I will know who you are, because you can't fool an empath. Any questions?_ "

There was a resounding chorus of "no" and Sarissa nodded, giving the order to depart for the station.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Gary looked around, cautiously noting all the debris and bodies.

"This is a shithole and a half," he muttered.

" _Stow the chatter, Mister Williams,_ " Lieutenant Colonel Michael Harrel snapped. The grizzled security expert carefully scanned the area, checking with his MACOs.

Gary didn't know much about the man, but he knew that Harrel had been on the Presidential Security Detail at one time and that his husband worked at Starfleet Medical. That was about all.

" _Heads up,_ " Loret muttered over the comm channel, pointing at a door that read, in High Rihan script, "Infirmary".

"That's our place," Gary told the team.

" _Harrel to t'Kaveth._ "

" _T'Kaveth here. Go ahead, Mister Harrel._ "

" _We're at the location for Team Two. Getting ready to head in and check the area._ "

" _Understood. Keep an open channel_."

Gary followed just behind Harrel and his eyes widened when he saw what was within the damaged Infirmary door.

"Oh my God," he murmured, "This ain't natural. This is cold-blooded murder, plain and simple. Ain't nothin' special 'bout it 'cept the crazy son-bitch motherfucker that did this."

He didn't even notice that his accent appeared, especially when a hand reached out of the darkness and for his helmet.

 **I am at eight pages and have decided to make this a whole chapter. I will add another chapter soon, hopefully by Spring Break. Also, for those of you who follow me, I've done some heavy editing to my other stories, so be ready for a mass update soon. Jolan'tru!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have no actual idea how long this story is going to be, only that it's going to be at least three chapters, which, for an STO story, is kinda long for me. Oh well, here is the next part of this story. I hope I've made you a good mystery, because I'm not the best at writing mystery and actually making it get to the point.**

"Shattered Hopes (part two)"

Sarissa swore creatively in Klingon as the comm channel clicked close with the last sound being a choked scream.

"Someone get down there, now!" she ordered.

" _We cannot,_ " Major Sivak replied, " _The doors just sealed._ "

"Then use the maintenance tubes, just find a way!"

" _I recommend we contact the_ Telent _. We can do little here and I am not separating the team, as I cannot be in two places at once._ "

The glare that the Vulcan MACO received would have made a lesser being shrivel up.

"I will not abandon those people and I am in command here!"

" _A word in private, Riov?_ "

Sarissa tapped a few keys on her wrist unit and a private link was opened.

"What?" she snapped.

" _I feel it is my duty to inform you that you are nearing the point of an illogical outburst of emotion._ "

"Of course I'm near that point, those are my crew down there, my comrades, the people who I have sworn to defend, as their commander."

Sivak shook his head slightly, " _You also have a mission to carry out."_

"Damn the mission and damn the Tal Shiar!"

The Vulcan rested a hand on her shoulder and said, " _This mission could mean peace between the Empire and the Republic."_

" _Your Vulcan makes an excellent point, Riov. One you ought to remember._ "

Sarissa spun around as the voice intruded on the channel. Behind her stood a Tal Shiar officer in the EVA suit commonly used by the Empire, with the rank pins of a commanding officer.

Except, this one had the trimmings of a higher ranked officer than a simple commander. In fact, he appeared to be the head of a branch of the Tal Shiar.

"Identify yourself," she snapped.

" _My pardons, Commander. I had thought your pet Reman would have informed you of our arrival. I am General Kevath of the Tal Shiar. And you are Commander Sarissa of the Romulan Republic._ "

"As glad as I am that you seem to do your research, I'm afraid that I was unaware of your arrival or that you would be joining us here in the first place. And the next time you call Saresh my 'pet Reman', I will be obliged to let her cut you. Now, I have been occupied, as approximately eighteen people are now cut off from all communications and the last thing I heard was a sound that would indicate trouble."

Her voice rose in pitch as she spoke, reaching just a few decibels shy of shrillness.

She couldn't see his face clearly through the tinted visor of this EVA suit, but she could guess the expression on his face. Something along the lines of a raised eyebrow.

" _Oh? Do explain. The Tal Shiar is here to help, after all. We would not harm innocent Romulans._ "

Before she could stop herself, her clenched fist slammed down on the console beside her, surprisingly booting it up and spilling lines of code and information across the screen.

" _If that is your way of explaining things,_ " Kevath stated, " _I will have to decline any… personal explanations._ "

"It wasn't an explanation," Sarissa retorted tightly, "It was my way of not punching you in the face."

Sivak lifted two fingers in a familiar gesture, MACO physical lingo for "I found something". At least, it was when she was in Starfleet. MACOs seemed to have the inability to make up their minds for which gesture to use when trying to communicate a discovery.

" _Riov, General, please. This is not the time. I have been able to get scans of the station. There appears to be extra life signs aboard. They do not appear to be Romulan._ "

General Kevath tilted his head slightly to the side, " _It appears we have something of a problem. I seem to have arrived at the perfect moment."_

Sarissa resisted the urge to slam her fist on the console again and settled for reaching out empathically and releasing her anger to the wind. Now was not the time to pick a fight with the Tal Shiar, not when sensors were showing they had three ships and she only had one.

Sivak seemed to pick up on that and gave a slight nod of his head in approval.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Gary cried out as the hand reached towards his helmet and grabbed on, scrabbling for a grip before falling limp.

He followed the arm up to the ceiling and saw that it had been trapped in the door. The body was somehow tied to the ceiling in some gruesome image of death.

"I'm gonna hurl," he muttered, staggering away.

Harrel caught his arm and steadied him.

" _Careful, lad. It'll be fine, we'll get this figured out. Gunny, check 'er out!"_

"Gunny", or Sergeant Gunther Thomas, slid in and scanned the area with his flashlight.

" _Damn. Place looks like a monster tore through it. There's a lot of bodies in here, sir. I'd say this wasn't just a smash job._ "

A shimmering appeared behind Gary and he turned to see seven figures appearing as they transported in.

"Who the hell?"

The lead figure, in a crisply trimmed Tal Shiar standard EVA suit, held up a hand.

" _Subcommander Evlyn t'Annwhi, how may we assist you?"_

Gary shook his head slightly, "Uh, Lieutenant Commander Gary Williams, Starfleet. You should probably see this for yourself."

The subcommander carefully picked her way in, giving an audible gasp when she saw the hand dangling from the ceiling and uttering a soft prayer to the Elements when she saw what was contained further in.

" _This… this isn't a simple attack,_ " she gasped, " _This was intentional murder. Republic scum! We will destroy them all for this!_ "

Several of the Republic officers scowled or snarled and one muttered something about karma.

"Hey, look, Subcommander, it's the Republic that's here to help. The commander of that ship out there isn't the kind of person who would do this and there are many more like her."

" _How well do you know that commander, Starfleet? What, do you have intimate knowledge of that which you claim to be her personality?_ "

Gary smirked, "Ten years with someone as your boss and you learn a fair bit about them, such as the fact that they might be a pacifist, or maybe that they're an asshole like that one boss who never noticed me. He was an ass, but a good doctor."

T'Annwhi didn't seem pleased, but remained silent as she gestured for her team to spread out and search the area.

Gary stayed silent as he scanned the area and listened to the teams and their chatter. Surprisingly, the Republic and Tal Shiar officers comported themselves with dignity and respect towards each other.

Eventually, a nearby maintenance tube opened up and four people slipped out.

Sarissa's body language suggested that she was pissed off, and probably with good reason. Three Tal Shiar officers were behind her, one of which looked high ranking.

" _Subcommander t'Annwhi! Report!_ "

The female officer started and snapped to attention, " _General! This is the scene of treachery, sir. These people were murdered, and it looks to have been done with a blade."_

The General turned sharply to Sarissa and snapped, " _Why did you not inform me of this?_ "

" _Your ears must need to be checked, General, because I told you that I had lost contact with this team,_ " Sarissa retorted acidly.

The general didn't seem pleased to hear that, but settled for a derisive noise as he turned to have a private conversation with the subcommander.

"All in a day's work, huh?" Gary muttered.

" _Unfortunately,_ " Sarissa murmured in response, pulling out her tricorder and scanning the area.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Sarissa lifted the glass of kali-fal and took a sip.

"One helluva day, huh?" Lorella chuckled. Gary winced and Loret looked dull.

"I need to wash my brain out," Gary muttered, taking a swig of his drink.

Loret sighed, "I don't want to believe that this is possible, that someone could do this, but the evidence is clear. Someone did this on purpose."

"But who? It can't have been Karel, he's a good man, he would never take part in something like this."

"I don't know anymore, Doc. That hand was pretty clearly in my face, and that person was attached to the ceiling."

The door chime went off and Sarissa called out, "Who is it?"

"Commander, he insists that he speak with you!"

It was Saresh and she sounded annoyed. Sarissa stood and walked over to the door, letting it slide open.

General Kevath stood behind her, his arms folded across his chest and his uniform crisp. To Sarissa's surprise, he wasn't some decrepit old man with the typical racism and old-fashioned warmongering look of the older generations. Instead, he appeared to be a relatively young man with thick-cut dark hair and a surprisingly handsome face with a tall, strong build.

Lorella peered over Sarissa's shoulder and her emotional state went from annoyed to approving in seconds. Sarissa knew that the nurse was probably appraising the general.

"You want something?" Sarissa asked bluntly.

"To speak about the events of today. It seems you already have company, though."

"I'm sure they can find someplace else to be if you think this is important enough."

"It is," he replied stiffly.

"Fine," Sarissa replied, turning and gesturing at the three medical professionals.

"Clear out, all of you. We'll talk later, I promise."

Pointedly, Gary snagged the bottle of kali-fal as he left, taking it with him.

After they left and Saresh made herself scarce, Kevath followed Sarissa in and she sat down, pulling out another bottle of kali-fal and another glass.

"I do not mix duty and alcohol," the general announced.

"I don't care. I'm not discussing something like this without being somewhat buzzed. Don't worry, I can think just fine. Also, what has got you so apprehensive about being here? Is it because I'm a Republic commander?"

He started and scowled, "You are some sort of gifted individual, aren't you?"

"Well, I've read your file since returning to my ship, but it's clear that you haven't bothered to look at mine. I'm half-Betazoid, meaning I'm an empath."

She filled both glasses about half full of alcohol and slid one across the table to him as he sat stiffly on the chair across from her.

He gave it a suspicious glance.

"Oh, by the Elements, I didn't poison it. Just drink. Trust me when I say this isn't something to discuss sober."

He took a cautious sip and set it back down.

"I did read your file, but the Tal Shiar had nothing about you being half-Betazoid. How you managed to conceal that from them during your questioning four years ago is admirable, but I will make note of it now. In-"

"Questioning?!" Sarissa snapped, "Is that what you call torture? I still have the scars from that and the memories!"

Kevath stopped and sighed, "May I be blunt with you?"

"Aren't you already?"

"I do know that the Tal Shiar under Hakeev has committed horrid crimes against the Romulan people. I know of their interrogation practices and I know of how they conduct themselves towards female prisoners. I am sorry that you were on the receiving end of such treatment, but not all Tal Shiar officer are bad people."

"Just as how the Republic would not condone such a crime as what happened on that station," she replied.

Kevath took another sip of the kali-fal and leaned back slightly, "I must admit, I had my doubts about dealing with the Republic in what should have been an internal matter, until Empress Sela came up with the evidence that pointed towards the Republic. With your assistance, we may be able to bring justice to those people and their families."

Sarissa sighed, "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps not. It depends on how you see things. Me, I just want to find peace, somewhere."

"Indeed. It has been noted that you are a pacifist, but you seem to have diverged from those ideals as of late, and I can presume why."

"Can you? May I be permitted to presume what led the Tal Shiar down the path of terrorizing their own people?"

He remained silent for several moments before emitting a heavy sigh.

"Would you believe me when I say that I understand why you have sided with D'Tan's people? I understand that Hakeev ordered your medical practice and your life destroyed. I am sorry that happened, but I can do nothing now. The only thing I can do is make sure that this investigation proceeds fairly. That is why I was promoted to the rank I hold now, because I seek justice no matter what. It was me who asked that the Republic assist with this investigation, because I want to prove that peace can occur, even with the differences between us."

Sarissa thought back to words that her father had spoken years ago, in a lecture hall.

It had been her third year at the Academy, her final year. The professor had been teaching a unit over the psychology of various species outside the Federation and had invited Havein tr'Kaveth to speak to his class. He had begun by lecturing about how Romulans thought about the Federation, before offering the students a piece of advice.

"If you should ever encounter a Romulan who wants peace, listen to everything they have to say. They fall into one of two categories: the odd Romulan who actually wants peace, or a Tal Shiar officer trying to exhort something from you. I say this as a Romulan of the former category who has encountered many of the latter. However, there are outliers, even amongst the Tal Shiar. Now, I want you to ignore everything I have just said and I want you to trust your instincts. If a Romulan wants to speak to you about peace, take it with a grain of doubt and question, keep questioning. You will know if he tells the truth or not."

Sarissa took that advice now and lifted a hand to stop Kevath.

"Stop. Just stop. Too many people have spoken to me of wanting peace and they reverse their ways. I want proof, proof that you mean what you say."

"You are the empath, you tell me."

She gazed into his dark eyes and reached into her psychological training to look into the one place that could tell no lies: the eyes. His eyes did indeed tell that he was speaking the truth as he believed it.

"Fine. Fine, let's just say that I believe you. Why do you so eagerly want peace when others of your ilk don't?"

"Because I like to think myself above that... 'ilk', as you put it. I want to believe that I am an enlightened man, and such men look towards the future, not the past. Please, do the same, Riov."

"You didn't come here to speak to me of the future or peace. What do you want?"

Kevath sighed and waved a hand about, "This is why I don't mix duty and alcohol. I have a surprisingly low tolerance for it, as I have learned. The last time I consumed more than a single glass, I woke up with half of my clothes missing and a scarf tied about my head in an alley on Rator. Some celebration that was, with the resulting hangover."

Sarissa didn't know if it was the sheer insanity of the situation or just the stress getting to her, but she laughed.

He stared at her as she laughed and laughed for several minutes. A smirk crossed his face, lending him a rather cheeky quality.

"Sorry… sorry, I… I don't know what brought that about, I just… it sounded so utterly ridiculous…"

He smirked, "Then I have done my job well. You did seem quite stressed on the station and I find it tiresome to work with tense people. They don't know how to look outside the rules and find their own solution."

"In another universe, you would have made an excellent Starfleet officer."

"Oh? And I daresay you would have made an ideal Tal Shiar officer. At least, in my eyes, anyway, and not Hakeev's."

Her good-natured grin crumpled at the mention of the Tal Shiar leader and Kevath winced.

"My apologies. I know how you utterly detest him."

"No, it's fine. It's fine. I just… wasn't expecting that, that's all."

Kevath looked mildly dubious about the whole deal, but he nodded and sobered up.

"Now, about our findings on the station earlier…"

Their good-natured jests slipped away as the gruesome business commenced.

When it was all said and done, some hours later, Sarissa slept surprisingly well. Perhaps it was that small kernel of hope that there was still some good in the Empire, after all.

 **And here is part two! So, I lied, this may wind up being several chapters. I'm trying to keep each chapter at about six to eight pages, with this falling at seven, simply for the purposes of transcribing it over to the STO forums, as it doesn't seem to allow me to copy-paste anything over to the Arc system, so I may begin using the website for this… anyway, here ya go!**

 **Also, my current plan is to take everything I've written so far and post it by the end of Spring Break, which will be March 13** **th** **and starts March 4** **th** **, so that will hopefully give me enough free time to busily write away until I have something for at least most of my stories, along with my edits that I'm doing.**

 **So, here's to hoping that those of you who follow me and not just my stories will see new content soon!**


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